Ditching-machine apparatus.



T. I INGA.

DITCHING MACHINE APPARATUS.

` APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30| IgI. 1,152,524., PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WM'WM COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C04.WASH|NGT0N, u. c.

T. LINGA.l

DITCHING MACHINE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30l 1910. 1,152,524., Patentedsept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CDLUMBIA PLANDURAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

T. LINGA.

DITCHING MACHINE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30. 1910.

1,152,524. Patented sept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

CGLUMBIA PLANDURAPH CD..WASH|NUTON. D. c.

lll

TOEBJRN LINGA, OE Tn'on., IOWA, AssIerNOn To AMEEIoAN Direi-inve MAcrIINEoOM- PANY, OE wEsT MINNEAPOLIS, MINNEsoTA', A CORPORATION OE MINNESOTA.

DITCI-IINGr-IVIACHINE APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '7, 1915.

Application fue@ `saltan/naar so, 19.10. serial No. 584,693.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, TORBJRN LINGA, a subject of the King of Norway, residing at Thor, in the county of Humboldt and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machine Apparatus, of which the following is a full, true, clear, and eXact description.

My invention pertains to ditching machines and particularly to ditching machines of the type employed in digging ditches or trenches for drainage or sewerage purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a ditching machine with means cooperative with the digging element which will enable the ditching machine to dig a ditch or trench through soft or sandy or yielding soil, and at the same time sustain or support the sides of the ditch behind the machine against caving in or collapsing as the digging operation goes on and which will be constructed and arranged in such a manner that it will leave a clear, open space immediately in the rear of the digging element toenable a workman to safely, conveniently and efficiently lay tiling or piping in the bottom of the ditch.

Another object of my invention is to provide a ditching machine with means which will prevent any of the dirt dug by the digging device from fallingl or sifting back into the ditch upon the workman who is laying tiling or piping therein and which will cooperate in producing at the rear of the diggingdevice a clear, openspace in which the workman may work.

Still another object ofmy invention contemplates the provision of a ditching machine having means associated with the digging element thereof for shaping or sloping the sides of the ditch when the ditch is dug through sandy or looseV ground which is inclined to cave in, so that'the sides of the ditch will be self-sustaining and the ditch or trench may be left open.

Another object of my invention 1s to so arrange these various parts that they may be quickly and easily placed in their operative positions or removed therefrom, and

further that they may be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and replace in case they become damaged.

My invention contemplates a ditching machine comprising a movable truck and a digging element carried `thereby and bodily movable relatively thereto, in combination guard and protector shield being so constructed and related that they provide immediately behind the digging element a clear, open space as the digging operation proceeds in which lspace a workman may follow the machine and lay drainage piping or tiling.

My invention further comprises a ditching machine having a guard and protector shield,as above mentioned, in combination with plates positioned within the digging element at the sides thereof and arranged to sustain the sides of the ditch from caving in and interfering with the operation of the digging element; and further my invention comprises cutting or trimming devices positioned at the sides of the digging element and so arranged that as the digging element is digging a ditch or trench the cutting devices cut away or slope upwardly the sides of the ditch thereby maklng a ditch which is wider at the top than at the bottom and rendering the sides of the ditch self-sustaining. Y

My invention further consists in a ditch ing machineA having the above described structures so arranged and related to each other and to the machine and so constructed and arranged that they are readily removable for repair andas readily replaced in position. y

One embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation ofthe rear portion of a ditching machine truck and the digging wheel carried thereby, the guard, the protector shield, the plates and knives being shown vin their relative working positions; Fig. 2 is a sectionalview on line 2-2 of Fig. 4; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the rear portion' of the truck and digging wheel showing the protector shield; Fig. Llis a view on line 4 4 of Fig. l showing the digging wheel in section and the cutting knives and a portion of the guard in their relative positions; Fig. 5-is a vertical sectional view on line 5 5 of Figx showing the protector shield and a4 p ortion of the crummer or los A with a rear axle 4 upon which the rear traction wheels. of the truck are mounted, and about which, as a center, the digging wheel 2 is bodily raised or lowered in a vertical plane. Upon this axle is pivoted thevclevis yoke 3 to the'rinner end of which, adjacent its pivot, is secured, at substantially right angles thereto, an upwardly `curved framework 5.- The clevis yoke 3 land framework 5 are rigidly connected together bythe brace Y rods 6, and together theyfconstitutel a bell crank lever Y mounted'to .swing orrevolve Y center.

vertically about the aided as a pivotal Betweenthe outer ends 9 of the clevis is rotatably mounted the digging wheel or member 2, this wheel being rotated,rby suitable gearzmechanismand a source of 'power (not shown)v .to performits digging operation. ,Thefdigging member 2 comprises a spoked wheel having outer and inner rims 21 and 2l, "respectively, concentrically disposed Y one within the other andv spaced apart by the central ribor web 2C and forming between Y thema continuous groove orv channel on each `Vlie side of the rib 2Q. The outer rim 2a is provided with a series 'of transverse slots 10a adjacent the edges of which and projecting angularly therefromV arethe lcutting blades 10, 'these blades l10 beingadapted to shave or slice the dirt and direct it into the grooves or lchannels between the rims where it is retained andcarriedto'the top of the wheel and lthere Aremoved by plows Y11 which defleet the 'dirt onto the conveyermechanism 12 by which it is finally discharged and distributed along the sides'of the ditch.l The conveyer mechanismv is supported upon the uprights 12, the lower ends of whichV are pivoted on the short shaft 9, extending between the" outer endsv 9 yof the clevis yoke.

Thebell'cranklever, which carries the digding wheelz2, is swung about its pivotal aXis L1 by means of the hoisting mechanism 8 cary ried in' the roof of the' truck and operated through themediuin of the chain 7 con-V nected to lthe outer end of the framework 5. By this arrangementthedigging wheel isilowered into the ground to any depth to 'Y Ywhich it'i'is desiredrto dig a ditchorfit is yraised up clear vof the groundy whenvthe inachine is traveling. from4 place to place. v T he conveyer mechanism "12 is maintained in. its relative position to the top of the digging the dirt.

wheel 2, that is, it is maintained in a substantially vertical position at all positions of the digging wheel 2 by the link rods 12a extending between and pivot-ally connected to the rear uprights or roof supports on the truck and thebridge beam of the conveyer Y mechanism.

and transversely and joined end to end to form a rigid continuous structure which conforms to the contour of the periphery of the digging wheel. 4The guard is provided with Ya central longitudinal ridge or rib 15 throughout its entire length which forms an internal groove or channel for the gear teeth 'on the periphery of the digging wheel and which in addition serves as a strengthening rib for the guard. The guard extends from the conveyer mechanism 12 downwardly adjacent tlie reai of the wheel through substantially 18,0 Vdegreesto a point very close to the bottom of the ditch where the cutting blades on the digging wheel are cutting Between the lower end and the middle portion of the crummer, on each side thereof, the braces 13 and 14e extend forwardly therefrom, these braces lying principally within the side planes of the wheel and extending to the outer ends of the clcvis yoke where ythey are pivotally mounted upon the shaft 9 As before stated. the blades on the periphery cf the digging wheel 2 shave or slice the `dirt and direct it between the outer and inner rims 2L and 2b where it is retained and carried to the top of the wheel. The plows 11 on tlie co'nveyer mechanism project into the spaces betweenthe rims and deflect the dirt laterally on to tlie-conveyer mechanism. Should any ofthe dirt pass the plows it will fall against the inner surface of the guard 15 and will be directed by the cruinmer downwardly to the bottom of the ditch where it is again picked up by the blades on the digging wheel.

Ditching machines of this class used for drainage work'are often required to dig a ditch or trench in ground of such character that the walls of the ditch aie liable to cave .in` immediately behind the machine and, since a workman usually follows very close shield being very close to or in contact with the walls of the ditch and overcoming any tendency ofthe walls of the ditch to cave in or to collapse; in fact serving as a temporary curbing for the walls of the ditch. The edges 21 of the side platesare curved to conform to the curvature of the crummer and are removably secured adjacent the side edges thereof. The opposite or rear edges of said plates are spaced apart by means of a transverse plate 24k fastened in place by bolts or otherwise. Secured to the lower edges of the plates and projecting inwardly, at right angles thereto, are the flanges 25 upon which a suitable seat may be placed for the workman or a suitable tray for his material. The shield 20 is secured to the crummer in any suitable manner. In the drawings I have shown the said plates thereof provided with lugs 26 bolted thereto on the inner faces and carrying downwardly extending pins 27 adapted to register with and to be inserted into pin holes provided in the lugs 28 bolted to the guard 15 adjacent the side edges thereof. It will thus be seen Y that this shield effectively overcomes any inblades.

clination of the sides of the ditch to cave in, at the same time it provides between the side plates thereof a clear, open space in which the workman may safely and conveniently perform his work. In addition to the shield20 I have provided a set of plates 34 disposed within the circumference of the digging member. The plates are removably secured, as by bolts, to the braces 13 and 14; a plate being provided on each side of the digging member 2 and lying substantially in the side planes of said member. These plates effectively sustain the walls of the ditch adjacent the sides of the wheel from caving in andV interfering with the operation of the wheel. Y

A part of my invention comprises the cutting knives or blades 30 and 18 mounted on eachside of the digging wheel. The cutting knives 3G are disposed diagonally and are bolted or otherwise removably secured at their lower ends to the braces 14. These blades or knives are so constructed that they diverge upwardly and outwardly until their upper ends reach a point substantially coin cident vwith the outer ends 9 of the clevis yoke, these ends 32 being then turned inwardly and removably pivoted on the shaft 9. The cutting blades or lmives 18 are vsecured at their upperV ends directly Vto the clevis yoke 3 and at their lower ends to the brace bars 19 which are secured tothe clevis 8. These knives 18 depend diagonally to a point below the hub of the digging wheel. They are disposed to lie along the same lines of convergence Vas the cutting Both sets of knives 30 and 18 are preferably secured in position in any suitable manner so that they may be conveniently removed in case it is not desired to use them. Thel function of these cutting blades 30 and 18 is readily apparent. They slice or shave ofi' the walls of the ditch in such a manner that the walls of the ditch diverge upwardly and outwardly. Thus they coperate with the digging member to dig a ditch which at its bottom is substantially the width of the digging member and at its top is wider than the width of the digging member; a ditch of this character being particularly desirablewhere it is intended that the ditch shall be left open. The guard 15, the protector shield 20 and braces 13 and 14 and the cutting knives 30 are all related to each other and to the digging member and secured together in such a .manner thatin a sense they constitute a rigid framework, which framework is pivotally.supported at one point by the outer ends 9 of the clevis yoke and at another point by the conveyer mechanism 12. The various devices or constituent parts which make up this framework are maintained in their proper relation to the digging member and to the ditch at all times during the operation and position of the digging element by the parallel link rods 12a. Furthermore7 these parts are all constructed and arranged so that they are readily removable either foi1 repair or when it is desired to operate the ditching machine without them.

I claim:

l. In a ditching machine the combination with a movable truck, of a digging wheel, an arm pivotally mountedV at one end upon the truck and carrying the wheel rotatably mounted at its free end, means for moving the arm on its pivot to position the wheel vertically for digging ditches of different depths and for raising the wheel clear of the ground, a dirt guard extending from the top to the bottom of the wheel surrounding the rear periphery thereof and adapted to direct dirt from the top of the digging wheel to the bottom of the ditch, and means for automatically maintaining the guard in position with its upper end at substantially the topmost point of the wheel regardless of the depth of ditch being dug.

2. In a ditch digging machine the combination with a movable truck, of a digging Wheel, an arm pivotally mounted at one end upon said truck and carrying said wheel rotatably mounted at its free end, means for raising and lowering the arm to position the wheel vertically for digging ditches of different depths and for raisingv the wheel clear of the ground, a standard pivotally connected with the free end of said arm upf rising therefrom and spanning the wheel, means for maintaining said standard in vertical position regardless of the relative height of the wheel, awheel guard extending over the rear portion of the wheel and standard is maintained at all times at the topmost point of the wheel, and guard supports pivotally connected at the center of the wheel and extending rearwardly to said guard to maintain the lower end thereof properly spaced from the periphery of the wheel. Y Y 1 3. In a ditching machine, a truck anda digging wheel carried thereby and movable therewith, a levier pivotally mounted at one end to the rear end of the truck and carrying the wheel rotatably mounted on its free end,.in combinationwith a dirt guard and protector` shield associated with said digging wheel, said guard directing dirt from the top of the wheel to the bottom of the ditch and said protector shield maintaining the sides of the ditch against collapse and means connecting the guard ,and shield to said pivoted arm and tothe truck for automaticallv maintaining said devices in a fixed relation to the vertical diameterl of the wheel andthe bottom of the ditch.

'4C'. In a ditchingmachine, al truck, an arm arranged to v-move vertically .and pivoted at its lforward end to' the rear end-of the truck,

'a digging wheel rotatably mounted on the 30` rear end of the arm, a dirt guard arranged adjacent to the rear side of the wheel and adapted to direct dirt from the Vtop ofthe wheel to the bottom of the ditch, av protector shield :carried by the guard and adapted to prevent the collapse of the sides of theditch and means connecting said guard and shield with the free end of said arm and with the truck rand adapted to hold the guard and shield in iixe'd positions relatively to the bottom` of the ditch and to the vertical diameter of the wheel regardless of the position of the movable arm.

5. In a ditching machine, the combination witha digging wheel vertically adjustable in circular arc, of a peripheral guard adjacent said wheel concentrically mounted with respect to the axis thereof .and extending from the Ytop of said wheel to substantially with a digging wheel, vertically, adjustablein a circular arc,of a protectorshield supporting the sides ofthe .ditch dug by said wheel, said shield beingmounted adjacent the-rear portion of said wheeland trailing along immediately behind saidl wheel, dirt supporting plates mountedy within the digging wheel and maintaining thesides of the ditch adjacentsaid plates against collapse and mechanism connecting said shield, plates and wheel and maintaining said shield and plates in ixed positionsv relatively to each other and to the horizontal axis of said wheel. l j.

7. In a ditching machine, the combination with a propellable truck of a digging wheel carried thereby, a vertically swinging arm pivotally mounted at itsl forward end upon the truck and carrying the wheel rotatably mounted upon its free end, means for raising and lowering the arm to vposition the wheel vertically relatively to the truck, a box like structure positioned at the rear of the wheel and adapted to follow the wheel through the ditch being dug, the sides of the box-like structure supporting the sides of the ditch against collapse and mechanism connecting the box-like structure to said arm and to the truck and maintaining it in a definite iixed relation to the bottom of the wheel and to the bottom of the ditch.

8. In a ditching machine, a movable truck, an arm pivoted on the rear end thereof and arranged for vertical movement, a digging wheel rotatably mounted on the free end of said arm, a crummer concentrically mounted with respect to the rear portion of said wheel and extending through an arc of substantially 180 degrees, the crummer being pivotally supported on said arm at the axis of rotation of the digging wheel and means j connecting the upper end of said crummer with the truck and with said arm and adapted to hold the lower end of the crummer in a definite relation to the bottom of the ditch. 9. In a ditching machine, a digging wheel carried at the rear end thereof and movable vertically to dig ditches of different depths, a lever pivoted at its forward end to the rear end 'of the truck and carrying said wheel rotatably mounted at its rear end, means for raising and lowering said lever, a crummer supported adjacent to the rear portion of said wheel and conformed to the curvature thereof, a box-like structure carried by said crummer and adapted to pass through the ditch dug by the wheel, the side faces of said structure extending rearwardly from said crummer and substantially parallel to and supporting the sides of the ditch dug by the wheel and means connecting said crunnner and structure to the free end of said arm and to the truck and adapted to maintain them in a definite relation to the horizontal diameter of the wheel and to the bottom of the ditch.

10. In a ditching machine, a movable truck, a digging wheel carrying arm'pivotally mounted at the rear endof the truck and movable vertically, a digging wheel rotatably mounted on the free end of the arm, a guard mounted in close proximity to the rear portion of said wheel and a protector shield preventing thesides of the ditch from of the ditch adjacent thereto, brace bars pivotally connected at their forward ends to the rear end of said arm and adapted to maintain said guard, protector shield and plates in definite relative positions, means connecting the upper end of said guard with the truck adapted to maintain the guard, the shield and the plates in a definite position relative to the horizontal diameter of the wheel regardless of the relative position of 11. In a ditching machine the combination with a wheeled support, of a digging wheel, an arm pivotally mounted at one end upon said support and carrying said wheel rotatably mounted at its free end, means for rotating said arm on its pivot to position the wheel vertically for digging ditches of different depths and for raising the wheel clear of the ground, a standard pivotally connected with the free end of said arm, uprising therefrom and spanning the wheel, means for maintaining said standard in vertical positicn regardless of the height of the wheel, a wheel guard extending'overl the rear portion of the wheel and having its upper end connected with said standard, guard supports pivotally connected at the center of the wheel and extending rearwardly to said guard, and a box-like structure extending rearwardly from said wheel supported by said guard and adapted there` by to be held in a definite relation to the A bottom of the ditch regardless of the depth thereof, the side walls of said box supporting the sides of the ditch.

12. Iny a ditching machine the combination with a wheeled support, of a digging wheel rotatably mounted upon a horizontal axis and vertically adjustable in a circular arc and means connecting the wheel with the wheeled support adapting it for said adjustment, a circular guard covering the rear portion of the periphery of the wheel, and means for maintaining said guard in denite relation to the bottom and top of the wheel regardless of the position of the wheel, guard supports extending horizontally from the center of the wheel rearwardly to the guard, and sloping knives carried by said guard supports and held thereby in definite relation to the bottom of the wheel and to the sides of the ditch dug by the wheel.

13. In a ditch digging machine a truck and a digging wheel carried thereby and movable therewith, a vertically swinging arm upon which the wheel is rotatably mounted, a crummer at the rear side of the `wheel to direct dirt from the top to the bottom of the wheel, and a boX-lilre structure detacliably mounted upon the lower part of the crummer adapted to support the sides of the ditchl being dug.

In testimony whereof, Ihave hereunto set my hand this 9th day of September, 1910, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

TORBJRN LINGA. Witnesses VICTOR J. HILL, WM. MORRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ZD. G. 

